Untitled

Organized by emotions!

ANGRY/ANNOYED:

Insulted, goaded, jeered, argued, bickered, raged, scolded, complained, nagged, quipped, chided, snarled, ridiculed, snapped, retorted, protested, grumbled, whined, accused, badgered, threatened, lashed, ranted, scoffed, retaliated, stormed, sneered, boomed, roared, yelled, shouted, barked, grilled, fumed, heaved, insisted, bellowed, taunted, sassed

HAPPY:

Beamed, cheered, gushed, bubbled, chirped, resounded, praised, sang, trilled, chorused, tittered, complimented, effused, jabbered, rejoiced, approved, chimed, chatted, exclaimed

SAD:

Bawled, cried, blubbered, sobbed, wept, sniffled, wailed, agonized, grieved, mumbled, groaned, sniveled, apologized, lamented, fretted, gurgled, croaked

CALM/NEUTRAL:

Added, began, addressed, agreed, called, announced, confirmed, described, continued, disclosed, echoed, greeted, emphasized, informed, mentioned, implied, mused, observed, prompted, offered, recited, started, recalled, uttered, reckoned, ventured, went on, pronounced, voiced, noted, remarked, commented, interjected, shared

SCARED:

Cautioned, gulped, swallowed, keened, panted, gasped, shrieked, trembled, shuddered, yelped, warned, hesitated, stammered, stuttered, pleaded, murmured, sputtered,

CURIOUS:

Hummed, questioned, inquired, quizzed, queried, wondered

Great dialogue can come from radical emotional honesty. But in most real conversations, people

dodge questions

answer indirectly

lie (badly)

change the subject

crack jokes to avoid serious answers

lie (convincingly)

say half of what they mean

tell the truth but get so anxious/angry/defensive others now think they're lying

If your dialogue feels unnatural, it might be because everyone is saying exactly what they think, or articulating their thoughts too well. Try letting characters hide things instead.

Your two characters are having a conversation, but each one is having a different conversation. They should always reply to what they think the other person is saying, and they should always be wrong about their assumption.

Now, obviously, like any writing advice, this rule is meant to be broken. Any writing advice you are given is more like... a guideline.

Role reversal AU: Naruto as the ambassador of the shinobi nations

[Sakura as Orochimaru's student]

Tired & Exhausted Character Traits

 ˙⋆✮ Reading the same sentence four times and still not absorbing it

 ˙⋆✮ Losing track of a word mid-sentence and just trailing off

 ˙⋆✮ The specific clumsiness of bumping into furniture that's always been there

˙⋆✮ Forgetting why they walked into a room and standing there deciding whether to care

 ˙⋆✮ The way emotions become unreasonably huge when exhausted

 ˙⋆✮ Staring at a text for minutes and then forgetting to reply

 ˙⋆✮ Laughing at things that aren't funny just because the filter is gone

 ˙⋆✮ The way sarcasm sharpens when someone is running on nothing

 ˙⋆✮ Falling asleep in any position that isn't fully horizontal

 ˙⋆✮ Asking a question and immediately forgetting the answer given

 ˙⋆✮ The squint at a screen that's been at the same brightness all day

 ˙⋆✮ Rubbing eyes until colors appear behind eyelids

 ˙⋆✮ That slight delay before responding like the signal is lagging

 ˙⋆✮ Eating whatever requires the least effort regardless of hunger

 ˙⋆✮ The way a tired person's handwriting changes completely

 ˙⋆✮ Nodding along to a conversation they've fully checked out of

 ˙⋆✮ The misdirected irritability that lands on whoever's closest

 ˙⋆✮ Forgetting whether they locked the door and being too tired to go back

Let's imagine for a sec guys..

You thought you did a good job.

You thought you were saving everyone. Thought this was the right thing to do.

Give up your name.

Give up your voice. Identity lost.

No one told you you'd be trapped in stasis. Lost to time. Not a thought to your name.

No. No one had really thought through any of your rule had they? You were young. Naive. Scared. Tired. And yet you served. Like a sheep sat on the dinner plate.

And this feeling seems to build up as you slowly lose pieces of yourself to the endless time in the gaping void of the millennium puzzle.

That you did something wrong. This was your fault. That you don't deserve the love and comforts of a happy, completely carefree childhood.

When you finally get freed from this birdcage you locked yourself in, are you happy? Scared? Angry? Lost? Or just numb?

No one remembers the name of À̸̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̖̖̟̖̙̉̅̍̋̔̇̿̄̃̐̉̅̏̏̾̈̏̎̐͐̏͆́̿̂̅̂̓̿̆͛͐̿͊̈́͆̃̽̂̒̌̎̍̈̍̈͒̅̃͂̄̏̐́͋̌͐̃̅̐́͐̒̆͌͌͂̍͂͊̈̅͋̃͌̓̓͊̆́̇̀̽̈́͌̒͑̾̈́̀̉̀̏̂̆̓̋́͊̀́̐̀́̈́̈̉̔́̏͂́̎̌͌̍̔̈́͋̈͐̌͑̐̔̑̑̊̓̃͛͛͛̿̊̀͐̕̚͘̚̚̕̕̕͝͝͝͠͝͝ͅṰ̷̨̨̢̢̡̧̧̨̡̩͈͚̭̼̱̹̤͔̭̭͙̮̼̠̫̭̦̙̗̣͙̱̙̖̖̹̺͇̻̗̞̪̯̟̝̜̜̬͙̱̻̻̤͚͚̝̻̫̘͚̖̙̭̜̮̺̻̥̳͖͖̪̯̙̟̺̪̳̺͔̮̗̦̱̮͇̰̗̣̫̮͚̔͐̄̿̎̀̽̈́͂̈̃́̅̐̏̕͘͜͜ͅE̸̡̢̢̡̡̢̡̧̨̢̡̨̨̘̤͍̦̣̝͙̲͔̪̱͉̱̠̣̱̗̮͙͍̥͇̥͍̩̟̰͕͎̲̤̜̙͓̥͇̗͖͍̹͍͓͚̲̤̫̞̺̩̬̹̜̪̹̳͈̥̘̱̩̭͎͈͇̫͙͍͇͇͖̯͎̤͙̖̟̩̪̖͉̰͙̻̳͇̫̹̘͖̟̺̳͇̦̪̙̖̙̝͔͇̯͙̜͙̭̤͇̝͎̘̺̼̻͐̂̊̓͐͊̆̅̏͆̀̐̈̽͗͑͌̾̇̏͑̽̇̀̚͘͘̕͜͜͜͜͜͝͝ͅͅM̵̡̢̢̢̨̨̡̢̡̨̩̫̝̘̥͕̟̺̘̞̫̲̤̙̫̟͈̦̦̞̘̪̱̩̖̠͕̬̗̯̘̮͇͉̜̦̤͚̰̝͚͈̜̹͍͉̙̫̥̻̮̪̗͚̘̜̻̼̙͕̹͚͓͔̪̼͔͇̟̯͇̳̱͚͙̣̰̮̰͍͓̣̘̮̮̭͈̺̙͈̹̣͈̀̂̉̊͐̓̈̈́̾̈͌͌͛̄̈́̽͐̍͐͊̿̀̏̔̆͋̕͜͜͠͝ͅͅ.

The name of H̸̢̢̧̡̢̧̨̢̢̧̛̟̫͉̯̟̣̹͚̬̞̮̖̭̲͇̖̳͚͈̙̺̣̬̼̮̹͚͓͔̟͙͎̤̰̲̦̯͓̝̗͕͍̘̯͕͈̦̻̞̰̗͉̥̹̮͇̳͕̣̟̳̻̺̠̰͉̰̲͇͎̙̻̲͕̟̹̎̊̈́̈́̀̐̊̄́͂̀͌̔͑̅͆̊̇̈̍̆͗́̿̃̑̃̑͗̊̿̔̾̀̊̇̌̈͆͆͌̃͌̉̅͐̈̿̅͆͒͋̅̿̔̐̈́̿̒̏̏̈́̂̌̆̋͒͗̂͆̿͊̉͌̊̀̆͒͗͛̌͆͌̓̌̓̓̏̋͂́͛͂͗̔̓̔̒̈́͆̊͆̀̅̏͌̔̈́̊̆̊͗̈́̂̓̂͌̒̐͑̀́̒͂̌͆̇̃͐͂̌̏̌̍̑̂̍̋̂͗̾͗̈́̑͌̾̈̈́̈́͂̾̒̋̓͐̊̈́̅̓̎̃̊̍̀̂̏̍̄͘͘͘͘̕̕̕͘̕͜͜͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͠͠͝͠͝ͅI̵̢̧̧̢̡̧̨̡̨̡̢̡̧̡̢̡̢̢̢̡̢̛͇͖̻͎̟̝̹̦̭̺̰̲͔͎̜̯̦̙͙̥̩͖̘̹̖̟̟̭̘̝̗̬̣̙̦̫̩̮̩̙͔͉̥̲̜͉̙̦̼̞̙͔͍͈̪̦̥̞̜̙̘̜͈͚͕̬̥͚̹̜͇̥͈̦̥͓̥̰͔̩͖̻̰̝͚̜̬̜̥̙̞̥̗̮͖͎̣̤̣̪̩̱̩̳̙͙͈̜̠̪̮͇̫̞̤̳͇͎̮͇̮̱̱̤̖̦͍̭̜̯̜̼̳̩̟̲̖̭̟̥͈͖̪̱͗̏̋͐̾͗̎̀́̀̃̀̐̎͗̈́̒͐̎̿̏̊̑̄̊́͆͒̇̿̌̂̾̂̈́͒̃̂̋͆͂̐͋̃̓̍̏̉̂̾̓͌̀̈́̑̎̽͋̈́̀̄͗͑́́̔̓̎̎͌͂̐͐̅̓̈͛̽̑̎͆̽̓̈́̎͐̊͊̑͛̈͋͐̌͊͆̉̃̂́̋̏̉̃͑̌̇͆̈́͑̌̓̎́͒̂͋̐͒̃͊͌͑̆̍̓̇̑̍̊̈́̀̕͘͘͘͘̕͘͘̕͘͜͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͝͠͝͠ͅͅͅM̴̧̨̢̨̡̢̧̢̡̢̰̖͔͍̹̰̱̩̲͍͓̻̱͎̖̟̜͓̩̙̦̝̞͈̺̯̘̫̳̞̥̝̫̯̯͔̥͙̘͈͇̱̹̖̦̯̫̳̳͓̳̩̺͎̣͕̱͙͚̖͕̠̭͔̯͙͉̜̭̝̯̺͕͕̣̜̺͎̮̱̳̲͉̜̯̣̣̪̞̰̺͆͑̀̾̀̊͛͊̉̀̓̌͂̑̀̄͘͠͝

Maybe he never existed at all. Maybe he's always just been

Ỳ̴̢̢̨̨̧̺͍͈͓̝̹͚̗̠̫̱͓̟͇̻̭̺̠͍͇̦̘̩̝̬̤̖͈̝͍̹̤̪̟͕̦̘̯͎̌̏̾͗̇́̏͋̀̽͋̓̅̀̔̂̄̋̀͗͆͐͛͒̎̀͗̑̽̃̋͒̊͛̅͂͋̈́̅̔̋̅̃͆̿̍̄̄̃̌̔̆̄͒̏̑́̄̂̂̆̀̏̐͋̔́̈̀̆͗̌͂͐̀̏̔̓̆̿͊͋̇̄̄̾͆̄͌́͒́̈́́͐̎̃̚̕̚͘̕̚̚̚͜͝͝͝U̸̧̢̧̧̡̡̢̧̢̧̨̘̠̺͔̤͎̟̲̰̠̼̳̝̹̺͖̣̳͈̰̰̪͎̥̬̭̤̤̬̮̟̮̱̣͇͍̠͉͙̮̩͙̫͈̘̮̩͉͇̰͇͔͕̳̦̦̪̯̠̳̹͙̜̬̥͓̰̻͎̰̭͉̬͉͈͔͓̮̠̰͇̱̼̗̪̟͙̘̤̪͍͍̪̜̟͉̹̦͉͚̜̯̣͖̬̙̤̻̟͎̯͉̅̏̀͐̈́̃̇̌̓̌̐̽̈́̈́́̃̀̈́̋̆̃̽̀̋̈̈͑͊̽̆̿̇̀̓̈́͐́̇̄̆́̌͐̇̇̔͑̌͂̀́͊̀͋̆̎̂̄́̅̽͌̑͛̇̒̃̔̽̎͑͆̀̉̉̉̈́͋͊̅̉̊̍͌̃͊̊́̑̉̇̈̋̀̾͒̊͒̅̓͑̎͒̉͒͘͘̚͘̕̚͘͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͝͝͠͠͝͠ͅͅͅĢ̴̢̨̧̡̙̺̟̱̘̻̳͕͉̼͓̫̫̲̝͚̰̦̜̳͓̥̖̦̦̝̻̱̺̪͎̭̬̯̥͎͕͇͙͎͚̣̳̤̩̜̰̟̪̺̙̟̹̖̟̠̖̤͔͕̗̪͖̬̯̭͉͈͚͓̺̭̬͔̞̫̜̙̖̤̼͓̘̯͉̓̒̈̓̒͋̇͑̚͜͜͝͠ͅI̸̡̡̡̧̧̧̨̢̛̠̠̻̭͙̺̤͕͕͎̯̬̖̝͙̦͔̟͍͇̠̱̘͈͖̻͔̯͔̗͉̫̗̥̹̣̖̦̭̪̯̜͉͎̥̝̣̩͎͙̭̖̙̞͇̤̯̺͇̲͇̮̲͉͚̳̬͙̞̺̠̠̾̀̐̈̒͌̒̒͌͒̒͛̐̇̃̐̓̓͒̇̉̋̍̎͒̔̈́̈́̓͗͐̑̒̽̊̈́̒̿̃̊̂̅̎̉̏̈́̍̃̃̒̂̏͊̌͛͊̅̈̈́̀̓͛̐͋̂͘͘͜͜͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅ.

Just Ỳ̴̢̢̨̨̧̺͍͈͓̝̹͚̗̠̫̱͓̟͇̻̭̺̠͍͇̦̘̩̝̬̤̖͈̝͍̹̤̪̟͕̦̘̯͎̌̏̾͗̇́̏͋̀̽͋̓̅̀̔̂̄̋̀͗͆͐͛͒̎̀͗̑̽̃̋͒̊͛̅͂͋̈́̅̔̋̅̃͆̿̍̄̄̃̌̔̆̄͒̏̑́̄̂̂̆̀̏̐͋̔́̈̀̆͗̌͂͐̀̏̔̓̆̿͊͋̇̄̄̾͆̄͌́͒́̈́́͐̎̃̚̕̚͘̕̚̚̚͜͝͝͝U̸̧̢̧̧̡̡̢̧̢̧̨̘̠̺͔̤͎̟̲̰̠̼̳̝̹̺͖̣̳͈̰̰̪͎̥̬̭̤̤̬̮̟̮̱̣͇͍̠͉͙̮̩͙̫͈̘̮̩͉͇̰͇͔͕̳̦̦̪̯̠̳̹͙̜̬̥͓̰̻͎̰̭͉̬͉͈͔͓̮̠̰͇̱̼̗̪̟͙̘̤̪͍͍̪̜̟͉̹̦͉͚̜̯̣͖̬̙̤̻̟͎̯͉̅̏̀͐̈́̃̇̌̓̌̐̽̈́̈́́̃̀̈́̋̆̃̽̀̋̈̈͑͊̽̆̿̇̀̓̈́͐́̇̄̆́̌͐̇̇̔͑̌͂̀́͊̀͋̆̎̂̄́̅̽͌̑͛̇̒̃̔̽̎͑͆̀̉̉̉̈́͋͊̅̉̊̍͌̃͊̊́̑̉̇̈̋̀̾͒̊͒̅̓͑̎͒̉͒͘͘̚͘̕̚͘͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͝͝͠͠͝͠ͅͅͅĢ̴̢̨̧̡̙̺̟̱̘̻̳͕͉̼͓̫̫̲̝͚̰̦̜̳͓̥̖̦̦̝̻̱̺̪͎̭̬̯̥͎͕͇͙͎͚̣̳̤̩̜̰̟̪̺̙̟̹̖̟̠̖̤͔͕̗̪͖̬̯̭͉͈͚͓̺̭̬͔̞̫̜̙̖̤̼͓̘̯͉̓̒̈̓̒͋̇͑̚͜͜͝͠ͅI̸̡̡̡̧̧̧̨̢̛̠̠̻̭͙̺̤͕͕͎̯̬̖̝͙̦͔̟͍͇̠̱̘͈͖̻͔̯͔̗͉̫̗̥̹̣̖̦̭̪̯̜͉͎̥̝̣̩͎͙̭̖̙̞͇̤̯̺͇̲͇̮̲͉͚̳̬͙̞̺̠̠̾̀̐̈̒͌̒̒͌͒̒͛̐̇̃̐̓̓͒̇̉̋̍̎͒̔̈́̈́̓͗͐̑̒̽̊̈́̒̿̃̊̂̅̎̉̏̈́̍̃̃̒̂̏͊̌͛͊̅̈̈́̀̓͛̐͋̂͘͘͜͜͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅ...

they have been competing for so long that it had become the natural state of things: the other is the rival, not a fellow student. that is, until something happens to humanize them in some way

finding them crying behind the building

realizing they took up smoking again

they suddenly stopped showing up for class out of nowhere and no one knows anything

sickly appearance and voice lacking the energy and strength it used to have

defending them when a member of the faculty is being condescending / otherwise discriminates against them

finding them fishing food out of the trash or working a shitty night job to stay afloat

seeing them get ready to sleep in their car after losing their home

hidden injuries (classic)

Your action hero just got shot in the shoulder, stitched it up in a motel bathroom, and is now running through a forest. I need you to know that a shoulder wound severs muscle, nerves, and sometimes bone, and the human body's response to that is not "mild wincing followed by full range of motion." here is what injuries actually do to peoplee...

⊹ Adrenaline is REAL and it does allow people to do extraordinary things immediately after injury, BUT it is a loan, not a gift. you borrow the function and you pay it back later with interest. Your character might genuinely be able to run for twenty minutes after being stabbed. and then the adrenaline drops and everything the body was delaying arrives all at once. the collapse is NOT weakness. it's biology collecting its debt. write the debt collection. it's more interesting than the heroic sprint anyway.

⊹ Blood loss changes cognition before it drops you. you don't go from "fine" to "unconscious." you go through a whole middle stage of confusion, poor decision-making, emotional dysregulation, a strange calm, tunnel vision, difficulty forming sentences. Your injured character making a bad call, saying something they normally wouldn't, becoming suddenly and inexplicably gentle--that's blood loss. use the middle stage. it's dramatically rich and almost nobody writes it.

⊹ Recovery has a timeline and the timeline is long and boring and inconvenient to plot. a broken rib takes six weeks and during those six weeks sneezing is a genuine emergency. a concussion means no screens, no reading, no bright lights, and symptoms can persist for months. a stab wound to the abdomen means weeks of infection risk, limited mobility, and a specific kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with sleep. Your character being sidelined and frustrated and useless for a long time is not a narrative problem. it's the story.